Paramedics in Chatham-Kent will be on strike as of Tuesday morning at 6 a.m.
Members of the community can rest assured that emergency medical services (EMS) will remain available to the public.
"Chatham-Kent EMS service levels will remain the same and there will be no impacts to our 911-system response. We want our community to know that the safety and access to high-quality care remains our top priority," said a statement from Chatham-Kent EMS.
https://twitter.com/CK_EMS/status/1660747523886047232
As essential workers, paramedics will continue responding to emergency calls. Other services such as patient transfers and community para-medicine will likely be unavailable.
Represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare, Chatham-Kent paramedics have been vying for a contract that includes better pay, increased mental health support, and long-term disability premiums.
Their previous contract with employer Medavie Health Services expired on December 31, 2022.
A vote was held at a membership meeting with SEIU Local 1 last month, in which 97 per cent of paramedics were reportedly in favour of taking strike action.
